Press release
Dental programme continues to shine after two decades
University of Dundee stakeholders in a nationwide oral health initiative have plenty to smile about as they celebrate 20 years of improving children’s teeth.
Published on 10 March 2026
Secure data management specialists, the Health Informatics Centre (HIC), and clinicians from the University’s Faculty of Health, home to the UK’s leading dental school, were among those who gathered at the Scottish Parliament to mark two decades of Childsmile, a pioneering initiative to reduce inequalities and improve the condition of young children’s teeth.
The Scottish Government-funded project led by NHS Scotland was established to reduce inequalities in oral health, where historically youngsters from the most disadvantaged communities commonly demonstrated the highest levels of tooth decay, as well as raising overall standards of dental care in children.
Working with health boards, dentists, healthcare workers and other experts, HIC have been integral to developing and delivering Childsmile data services since 2006, providing 20 years of continuity and secure data management expertise.
In the early 2000s, almost 60% of five year-olds in Scotland had visually obvious signs of tooth decay, resulting in significant short term costs for the NHS in relation to dental extractions, fillings, and treatments for decay. Since the introduction of Childsmile, the number of P1 aged children with no sign of dental decay has grown substantially – up to 73% in 2024 from 45% in 2003.
NHS costs associated with dental treatments for five-year-old children have decreased over time, with the eighth year of the toothbrushing programme producing expected savings more than two and a half times the costs of the programme implementation.
Keith Milburn, HIC Service Delivery Manager, said, “Childsmile is a notable example of how collaborative working can produce real-world outcomes.
“At the Health Informatics Centre, we have been extremely proud to support this programme, ensuring that high-quality data is effectively utilised to produce lasting, positive impacts for young people across Scotland.”
HIC was established in 2004 and has over 20 years managing NHS data for research, innovation, monitoring, improvement and evaluation.